Family Health

Methods and Modes of Resistance Training: A Grid To Success

December 6, 2013

Do you want to help your child get stronger? Or are you considering incorporating a kid’s strength-training class into your fitness studio? Either way, you may be wondering where to start and whether or not resistance training is safe for children.

It’s important to select exercises and types of equipment that are appropriate for a child’s body size, fitness level, and exercise technique and experience. Using all of these different variables to choose the most appropriate modes of strength training will ensure that your participants get started safely, and it will help build their confidence to continue training.

The grid below takes all variables into account and will help you map out what equipment and modes of training are good to begin with. Follow the age of the participant and scan down the chart through each variable. Use the modes of training that stay consistent throughout each variable. These are just suggestions on where to begin, so it’s important to use your best judgment based upon your participants.

AGE: The ages of your participants will determine where to begin and how technical you should be with your training program.

Body Size: Weight affects what modes of exercise will be most effective and help build confidence and competence in youth.

Fitness Level: If your participants have not been active or engaged in physical activity on a regular basis, you want to be sure to build a foundation of basic, fundamental movements.

Experience: The experience level of your participants will determine whether you start with basic, fundamental movement skills or if you can focus on building upon previous strength gains.

For example: A participant is 13 years old, overweight, sedentary and new to exercise. Weight machines and resistance bands are consistent amongst all three categories under that age group; therefore, beginning with those modes of training is a good start. Whether you incorporate body weight, free weights or medicine balls should be determined according to the abilities of your participants.

Methods and Modes of Training Youth GRID

AGE

6-10 Years

11-15 Years

15-19 Years

Body Size

Overweight

Weight machines

Weight machines

Weight machines

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Free weights

Free weights

Normal

Weight machines

Weight machines

Weight machines

Free weights

Free weights

Free weights

Medicine balls

Medicine balls

Medicine balls

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Body weight

Body weight

Body weight

Fitness Level

Sedentary

Weight machines

Weight machines

Weight machines

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Body weight

Body weight

Body weight

Active

Weight machines

Weight machines

Weight machines

Free weights

Free weights

Free weights

Medicine balls

Medicine balls

Medicine balls

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Body weight

Body weight

Body weight

Experience

New

Weight machines

Weight machines

Weight machines

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Body weight

Body weight

Body weight

Experienced

Weight machines

Weight machines

Weight machines

Free weights

Free weights

Free weights

Medicine balls

Medicine balls

Medicine balls

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Resistance bands

Body weight

Body weight

Body weight

Once your participants master the initial basic strength-training program, they can progress to more challenging workouts. Here is an example of what a basic strength-training program would look like for the 13-year-old, obese, sedentary, new participant.

Exercise

Weight

Reps

Sets

Leg press

20-40lbs

8-15 reps

1-3 sets

Shoulder press

8-15lbs

8-15 reps

1-3 sets

Resistance band biceps curls

light/medium

8-15 reps

1-3 sets

Lat pull-down

20-40lbs

8-15 reps

1-3 sets

Seated row

10-20lbs

8-15 reps

1-3 sets

Resistance band rotationals

light/medium

8-15 reps each side

1-3 sets

Resistance band triceps extensions

light/medium

8-15 reps

1-3 sets

Continuously evaluate your participants’ form and ability to follow directions when strength training. If those areas begin to break down, you can be certain that your training modes and methods are too advanced or have progressed too quickly. Keep it simple before adding more complicated ways of training.

By Anna RendererAnna Renderer

Anna Renderer has her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Clinical Exercise Physiology from Northeastern University. She is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and certified Youth Fitness Specialist with the International Youth and Conditioning Association (IYCA). Anna is the co-founder and CEO of KFIT Health (www.kidfitnessandhealth.com), developing high quality nutrition and fitness education for children and their parents. She is also the host for POPSUGAR Fitness TV, sharing her fitness expertise with thousands of online viewers and interviewing other health professionals. She has developed and starred in fitness videos, Jumpstart Your Health and SHED 2 WED. Anna is currently the Fitness Director at Burn 60 in LA. She specializes in weight loss and optimal performance training. She has developed over 50 educational online fitness videos seen on www.fitsugar.com and is passionate about educating and instructing others on ways to stay fit!

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